Congressional delegates for public option

The healthcare debate continues to rage during Congress' summer recess. There has been increasing skepticism over President Obama call for a public insurance plan to compete with the private sector. The White House has signalled they are willing to compromise on that option. Many congressional delegates around Philadelphia are supporting the public option.

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Congressman Chaka Fattah is one of the those supporting the public option for healthcare reform. He says in other areas there is a public option that works – public health clinics, public education – so why not healthcare.

Fattah: The difference between Penn State and the University of Penn is that we make sure that every child can have an affordable education, even though both are great schools and we need to have a public option in healthcare to make sure that every person that needs healthcare has a place to turn that can't turn them away.

As the debate continues, political consultant Larry Ceisler says if the Democrats cannot make the public option work, their base of support could become enraged and retaliate at the polls.